Best Non-Native Booster

Charlie Brennan, KMOX (1120 AM)

As the midmorning-talk-show host on KMOX radio, native Clevelander Charlie Brennan spent years listening to local "civic leaders" blather on about wise and well-researched surveys and plans for making the most of the assets of downtown St. Louis. But unlike the vast majority of his guests, Brennan went out and actually did something, creating a walking trail of downtown historic sites, à la the Freedom Trail in Boston, marked by plaques and linked by a red line on the streets and sidewalks. And, using his bully pulpit, Brennan hasn't been afraid to snipe almost as frequently as he salutes, frequently holding the feet of those who plan and promise but never deliver to the fire of public scrutiny.